Customer data is the fuel needed for any modern online and e-commerce business to scale up and grow. The better its quality is, the more effective a company can be. Things are not so bright, however; ad blockers and browser security restrictions often arise between the businesses and their customers, blocking data tracking, and privacy policies tighten the noose of compliance.
Server-side tagging solves most of these issues, but it requires proper configuration and maintenance. Luckily, you do not need to master a new profession yourself: there are experts who can do that for you. Stape and Usercentrics are two of the most prominent titles in the sphere, so let’s take a look at their similarities, differences, and discuss which one is better.
What is Stape?
Stape is a team of experts specializing in server-side tagging. They have been bringing this technology to the masses since 2021, developing numerous power-ups and valuable features to make it even more effective and even more convenient to use. The company boasts an impressive rating of 4.5 on Trustpilot, which means that its users are predominantly satisfied with the services it provides.
What is Usercentrics?
Usercentrics tag manager is a relatively new product presented by Usercentrics, a company that originated as a consent management platform in 2012. As for now, among all its services, its team also offers server-side tagging, similarly to TagPilot. In combination with Usercentric’s other products, it can be rather effective. The company has a 2.8 score on Trustpilot, but the reviews cover all of the company’s activity, not only the server-side tagging service. That is why we would give the company a small head start in this aspect.
Stape and Usercentrics feature comparison
Let’s compare the features Stape and Usercentrics offer to their clients. Both companies have big toolboxes, but may focus more on different aspects. Thus, it is crucial to understand their capabilities and strong sides to choose the best for any individual case.
How Stape and Usercentrics approach to GTM hosting
Hosting a Google Tag Manager container on the server is the key service both companies offer. Although both companies’ approaches are pretty similar, some differences may turn out to be decisive when choosing a service.
| Stape | Usercentrics |
| Has a fast and straightforward setup that allows you to get the URL for the cloud server in one click. Operates with all the most popular (and not very popular) data destinations, among which are Meta, TikTok, GA4, Klaviyo, and others. Clients who need a custom solution can expect Stape’s team to review their case individually and offer a personalized solution. Its list of hosted zones covers the whole globe, so it is fair to say that Stape operates globally. Businesses with less than 10,000 monthly requests can use it for free. The Pro payment plan costs $20 for up to 500,000 requests. | Usercentrics features a reasonable amount of pre-built templates for GA4, Google Ads, Meta Conversions API, and more. Supports integration with Google Services, allowing to connect with BigQuery or Firestore directly from the server GTM container. Businesses with fewer than 20,000 monthly requests can cooperate with the company for free. Usercentrics pricing plans start at $16 per month for up to 500,000 requests. |
Do both companies offer Gateways?
Gateways are an easy-to-set-up solution for businesses that do not require flexibility in customization and configuration. They are an alternative to server GTM hosting and are a powerful tool for small and medium-sized companies.
| Stape | Usercentrics |
| Can host a wide range of gateways: Stape Gateway (for GA4 and Google Ads), TikTok Events API Gateway, Snapchat Conversions API Gateway, Signals Gateway (a unified solution for many platforms), and Meta Conversions API Gateway. Stape pricing here starts at $10 per tracking pixel monthly, with a special offer of $100 per 100 pixels per month. | Usercentrics server-side tracking is the primary service the company focuses on. It does not have any Gateways listed among its products. |
What is the difference between Stape’s and Usercentrics’ approach to compliance?
Compliance with privacy policies is one of the main requirements for any online and e-commerce business nowadays. While the overall concept of server-side tagging already focuses on this question, Stape and Usercentrics have a different approach to the matter, as one is a purely server-side tagging services provider, while the other originated as a consent management platform.
| Stape | Usercentrics |
| Stape provides seamless integration with any consent platform, as all the configurations are made in the GTM container. This provides Stape with maximum flexibility in terms of being compliant. | Usercentrics tracking service has more than a dozen country-specific and international privacy policies on its list (GDPR, CPA, DMA, POPIA, FADP, etc.). Usercentrics’ consent management platform can be easily integrated with most third-party analytical platforms, apps, and websites. It also offers CookieBot, an automated platform-specific compliance solution. |
A quick review of both companies’ support services
Support service is the bridge between the business and the customer, and if it does not function properly, it affects the whole company. Let’s take a look at what both companies have to offer in this field.
| Stape | Usercentrics |
| Stape has a free Academy available to everyone, whether a person is their client or not. It is completely free and serves as a good introduction to server-side tagging. Stape’s support team is available 24/7 and is happy to provide any possible assistance on technical matters and issues that their clients might have. The community forum is another completely free and extremely useful resource that can help to solve lots of issues even before contacting the support service. It accumulates recommendations and experience from Stape users and server-side tagging experts all over the world. Also, there are more than 100 Stape’s tags on GitHub, which can also be called a community resource. The company also has personal managers available to bigger clients. The manager’s task is to assist with all the questions that may arise on the company’s goals, needs, and challenges. | The company has all of its support services, except for SLA, limited to its corporate users. There is a limited onboarding package for those companies that choose the plan called Business. Users who stick to cheaper plans are expected to dive into the world of server-side tagging on their own. There are free courses from Usercentrics, but they are all about consent management. Thus, even if you decide to cooperate with this company, it still makes sense to check Stape’s academy. |
Do the companies have something extra to offer?
It is always great to get some perks and treats in addition to the primary service. Do Stape and Usercentrics have any?
| Stape | Usercentrics |
| Stape is the only company that offers a tool to review how effective tracking on a website is and give recommendations on how to improve it. It is called Website Tracking Checker, and it is available to everyone for free. Stape Analytics is another great bonus for all the company’s clients. It allows them to review the effectiveness of their server-side tagging setup and compare the key metrics during the chosen period. | The company focuses purely on server-side tracking services and does not have any additional features to offer except CookieBot. Its primary services are undoubtedly on a high level, but in today’s highly competitive environment, this may not be enough. |
Conclusion
Overall, comparing Usercentrics and Stape features, the latter turns out to be a bit better and half a step ahead in almost everything. Its services step far beyond sGTM hosting, and overall, Stape nowadays is an all-round provider of everything connected to server-side tagging in any way. This makes it one of the most prominent of Usercentrics alternatives.
Another great plus to Stape’s favor is the number of free tools it offers. Stape Academy, Website Tracking Checker, Analytics, and dozens of free GTM templates. To get all this, you do not need to pay anything or register anywhere. With a client-centered approach to business, the company rightfully earns its place at the top of server-side tagging providers’ rates and undoubtedly deserves to be recommended.
FAQ
Which company is more reliable and expert in server-side tracking?
Stape specializes in server-side tracking and offers many features and power-ups to support it. Usercentrics has server GTM hosting as one of its products. Their most popular title is CookieBot, which is a consent platform. Thus, Stape’s team is more professional and experienced in everything regarding server-side tracking.
Is it easier to start using Stape or Usercentrics?
Stape has a lot of resources for newbies, such as Stape Academy or its community forum. Both resources are invaluable for people only starting their path in the world of server-side tracking. Add to that a responsive support service, and your switch will be as seamless as possible. Usercentric’s support service is limited to more expensive plans, and the company does not have as many learning resources. This makes Stape an undeniable winner in this matter.
Which company is better for smaller businesses?
Stape is a better choice for smaller businesses as it allows hosting of gateways, a cheaper and easier-to-configure solution for server-side tracking.
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